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Summary

The earliest reference to a mill in Bovey Tracey is in the Domesday Survey. Further documentary references to mills in Bovey Tracey occur in the medieval and post medieval period. Although their exact location is unknown they may have been on or close to the site of Town Mills. Town Mills appears to have gone out of use in the early part of the 20th century.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX87NW/35

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WATERMILL (Early Medieval to Edwardian - 1066 AD? (Between) to 1905 AD (Between))

Full description

Griffiths, D. M., Untitled Source (Correspondence). SDV287989.

Documentary mill not necessarily at this location.

Unknown, 1773, Untitled Source (Record Office Collection). SDV319587.

Unknown, 1774, Untitled Source (Record Office Collection). SDV287994.

Town Mills or Bovey Mills. Documentary reference in 1773 to a 'Sett of mills called Bovey Mills consisting of 3 greist mills and 1 malt mill with a dwelling house, garden and stables'. In 1774 there were 4 gristmills and also land which was part of the barton of park attached.

Unknown, 1796, D1/44/8a-b (Record Office Collection). SDV319588.

Unknown, 1801, Untitled Source (Record Office Collection). SDV322382.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'Town Mills (Corn)' shown on OS 25" (1880s) map as a group of buildings over the 'Mill Leat' .

Devon County Council, 1974, Survey of Watermills in Devon: Gazetteer (Report - Survey). SDV83967.

Town Mills. Leat approximately 5ft wide visible.

Bodman, M., 2003, Watermills and Other Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 274 (Report - Interim). SDV325576.

'Bovey Mills' reported to have had three pairs of stones in 1871.

Exeter Archaeology, 2004, Archaeological Survey of Parke Weir, Bovey Tracey, 1-3 (Report - Survey). SDV290529.

The Domesday Survey of 1086 records the presence of a mill, which paid 10s, withiin the Bishop of Coutances' manor of Bovi. An inquisition in the extent of Rovert de Vere's lands at Bovey Tracey in 1388 established that his income included 23s 1/2d from the issues of the mill. Further documentary references to mills in Bovey Tracey occur in the 17th and 18th centuries. On the Tithe Map of 1839-41 Samuel Ball is shown as occupying the mill house and buildings located to the west of the Dolphin Hotel. The mills are referred to as the 'town mills' in a sale notice of 1905. Town Mills appear to have gone out of use in the earlier 20th century. An article written in 1934, which noted how said it was to see 'old mill-wheels still and rotting, and the old mill-stones lying idle', included Bovey Tracey among the three places where this could be seen.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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